Lemon Risotto with Scallops

Lemon Risotto with Scallops

We have something with risotto and scallops in our house. It is a great luxury you normally will get at a restaurant. But you can easily make it at home. Just make sure to have every ingredients prepared and ready to go. By making it at home you are sure to get the risotto perfectly al dente, creamy, and seasoned to your tasting. 

This risotto can be an appetizer or a full meal. 

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 6-9 scallops

Risotto:

• 40 g butter

• 2 small shallots, finely diced

• 175 g arborio rice

• 120 ml (½ cup) white wine

• 850 ml chicken stock, heated

• 40 g grated parmesan

• 1 lemon, zest and juice

• salt & pepper to taste

• parsley, minced for a sprinkle on top.

Directions

Heat butter in a sauté pan, sauté the onion until translucent. Add rice and cook while stirring, until all the rice are coated and they start to crackle. 

Pour in the wine, and let it simmer lightly until the wine is absorbed. 

Start adding a small ladleful hot stock at a time, letting the rice absorb the liquid before adding more. You want the risotto to cook for a low simmer, stirring constantly. Cook the risotto for about 25 minutes, until the rice are al dente, and they have a little bite, without being crunchy.

Add lemon juice, lemon zest and parmesan and cook till its melted making the risotto nice and creamy. Season the risotto with salt and pepper to taste. 

Heat a skillet over high heat, add oil and butter. When the fat begins to brown and smoke sear the scallops for 1½ minutes on each side. The scallops should have a ¼-inch golden crust on each side, while being translucent in the center. Place the scallops on top of the risotto and sprinkle with more lemon zest and parsley.

Serve Immediately.

Enjoy!

Tomato Risotto

Tomato Risotto

Risotto has been a thing I have been reluctant to cook. I have always been convinced that it was a difficult dish to master. But after I have been cooking risotto a few times, I can't see what I was afraid of.  Somehow I might have been cooking risotto for many years. Well, not risotto, risotto. But the classic Danish dish Risengrød, is arborio rice cooked in milk, a sweet milky risotto sprinkled with cinnamon. And I have had Risengrød numerous times through my childhood.

This risotto embodies some of my favorite ingredients, tomatoes, wine, parmesan and basil, And of cause is was delisious. 

Inspired by Martha Shulmans Tomato Basil Risotto.

Serves 2-3 (4-6 as an appetizer)

Ingredients:

• 700 ml chicken stock, or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 225 g tomato, grated (2 large tomatoes)
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves only
• 130 g arborio rice
• 100 ml white wine (I used a Pinot Grigio)
• 2 tomatoes, without seeds, and diced
• ¾ dl (about ¼ cup) fresh grated parmesan
• 5 basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:

Grate the parmesan, set aside

Grate the tomatoes. Cut the tomato in half at the equator. Grate on the coarse side of a box grater, with the cut side of the tomato up against the grater. Watch your hands. Set aside.

Slice the basil, set aside. 

Dice onion, and mince the garlic.

Heat the stock, and keep it warm.

Heat olive oil in a wide sauté pan, sauté the onions until translucent. Add rice and garlic, cook while stirring, until all the rice are coated and they start to crackle. Add grated tomato and thyme, and cook until the rice has absorbed most of the tomato liquid. 

Pour in the wine, and let it simmer until the wine is absorbed. 

Start adding a small ladleful of hot stock at a time, letting the rice absorb the liquid before adding more. You want the risotto to cook for a low simmer, stirring constantly. Cook the risotto for about 25 minutes, until the rice are al dente, and they have a little bite, without being crunchy.

Add the diced tomatoes, basil and parmesan, making the risotto nice and creamy. Season the risotto with salt, to taste. Serve Immediately.

Enjoy!